Belief in the Afterlife - What Does Heaven Look Like?

By Hanna Kounov

I have been meditating extensively over the last months about the Afterlife and what that means to me. I know that one day I will leave this Earth Walk and return to the Source to be re-born again to learn, grow and become ever more connected to Spirit. It is a shame in a way that I will not recall my current life however but should my Soul feel the same pull towards Spirit as it has during this Earth Walk I am sure to be okay. Perhaps if I did remember the last life time it might stunt my growth in the next. Who can be sure.

This is my belief system... that my Soul will choose to leave this life and will choose to come back again and again until I don't need to do so anymore. What makes my Soul decide that it doesn't need to come back anymore... I can only speculate.

Not everyone believes the same thing I do. Does that make what I believe wrong - or for that matter is what they believe wrong? I don't think so.

During my last meditation I had a definite moment of clarity. Everyone's Afterlife is what they believe it to be! If you believe in heaven... then that is the Afterlife you will have. If you believe in Reincarnation then that will be your Afterlife experience etc.

Why not? Spirit can do anything in the Universe... maybe Spirit is the Universe and of course there is always the chance that there are parallel alternate Universes. Wow the mind boggles!!

If we just keep it simple I think I can say with certainty that we get what we believe. Our minds are the most powerful tool we have while we are alive. It can make or break us with its rhetoric. If we believe we can make things happen, even miracles, or we can ruin everything with a single negative thought. So therefore if we believe that we are going to go to heaven then that is what we shall receive. Spirit would not allow us to have such conviction and then give us something we never expected.

As a believer in Spirit I hesitate to consider what atheists will experience. I am not sure what they expect to receive; nothing? Is that what they will receive? I doubt it. I believe they will receive a chance to return and do it all again and hopefully in that life connect with Spirit after all we are given the choice every Earth Walk to do just that. I think it raises some interesting questions that I will have to meditate on further...

It is really anyone's guess...

Love and Light

Hanna Kounov is certified Psychotherapist, Author, International Speaker and Guide. 

 Hanna explains her coaching approach as follows: "As a certified Psychotherapist it became clear to me that standard Western medicine seems to address illness by applying a band-aid to trauma. This led me to open up to other ideas and "new" ancient ways of healing the body, mind, emotions and spirit. To that end I have embraced, and will continue to study Shamanism. Shamanism is a natural extension that connects seamlessly with my Intuitive Coaching style".

Hanna is a spiritual seeker and since the first fledgling steps that propelled her on her journey she has altered her attitude towards life, love and the pursuit of happiness. Find out more at: Website: http://www.hannadejager.com LinkeIn: http://ca.linkedin.com/pub/hanna-kounov/44/14b/532

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For more information, you might enjoy reading my book, More Than Meets the Eye True Stories about Death, Dying, and Afterlife. Purchase paperback on Amazon.com. It's also on Amazon as an e-book for those who have Kindle or Sony Readers. The audio book is now available!
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How To Help Your Child Cope With The Death Of Their Dog

By Gina M Dawson

One of my most vivid memories as a child was facing the death of my dog. When I discovered that an accident had killed my dog, my childhood mind was glad that my beloved companion was in heaven. I was happy that he had found eternal rest. My aunt and sisters scolded me when they found that I wasn't upset and crying. They told me that death was a sad time. In truth, as a child, I felt that I was seeing things very clearly. I would tell my childhood self that it is okay that I saw my dog as being with God.

I know that there is a better way to help your child through the death of their pet. Many of us don't know what to do when our child's dog dies. We often react and take the first action that comes to mind. Instead, may I suggest, that there is a better way. Planning for such a life changing event can help your child learn to deal with death. Learning early to face the passing of a pet will help them face the loss of a grandma, or parent, or sibling.

First recognize that the pet is gone. Avoiding the trauma by replacing their dog with another puppy is not the answer. He is not ready for a new puppy, and this will bring on more confusion. Let your child know that the pet has died. Explain that it is okay, and that we can say goodbye to their beloved pet. Let the child see the dog and know that life has left its body. Explain that their pet has died and is not coming back. If you believe in heaven, let the child know that the dog has gone to heaven, and that everything is okay. Reassure your child that it is not their fault that the pet is gone. Many times children will make it their fault that something bad has happened.

Second give your child time to say goodbye. Having a funeral for his pet will give your child a chance to come to terms with what has happened. This will allow him to go through the grief process. Don't rush your child in how he should feel about the death of his dog. It might take some time for him to get over the loss. Time spent missing his dog will allow him to learn to deal with death. This is a lesson that he will take with him throughout his life.

Third, allow time to pass before introducing another dog into the family. Avoid rushing into the relationship with another pet. A rebound effect, such as rejection of the new dog, or not bonding with the new dog, will occur. Causing a strained relationship with the new dog.

Finally, accept the way that your child wants to mourn the loss. Projection of your feelings on how your think a child should morn will prevent your child from learning to sort through his feelings. If he is happy that their dog is in heaven, let him be happy. Tears can always come later when he is ready.

Visit our website and blog for all the helpful dog hints you need to keep your dog and children healthy and happy. Gina Dawson is the owner of dawsondogs.com the one stop source for all your pets needs.

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For more information, you might enjoy reading my book, More Than Meets the Eye True Stories about Death, Dying, and Afterlife. Purchase paperback on Amazon.com. It's also on Amazon as an e-book for those who have Kindle or Sony Readers. The audio book is now available!
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Death and Burial in America: Going Out in Style

By Janice Doyle

Dying in the United States is an $11 billion industry - with even Walmart and Costco offering caskets today. More and more creative entrepreneurs are looking into the great beyond and turning the afterlife into a booming aftermarket.

But it's been hard coming. The industry has been very change resistant. In past decades when a family member died, funeral plans basically followed in the way parents had done funerals before.

In 1963, Jessica Mitford wrote The American Way of Death which attacked the funeral industry's unscrupulous business practices to take advantage of grieving families. The book became a major bestseller and led to Congressional hearings on the funeral industry. And things began to change.

What has happened in the funeral industry since then?

The number one change, everyone agrees, has been cremation as an alternative to the now $7,500 average cost of a traditional burial. For example, nearly 50 percent of all deceased in Florida are cremated (in Lee County 65%). In Japan and the Scandinavian countries percentages reach as high as 95%.

Cremation has brought its own industry. Undertakers have now developed every sort of way to upgrade and upsell cremation. From fancy caskets and fancy funerals of traditional burials, people may turn to cremation and a memorial service - and maybe more.

Whichever way a person chooses, today's consumer wants things done his own way, with special touches for the occasion of a loved one's dying, according to the National Funeral Director's Association's website.

Want to go "green" and bequeath yourself literally to the dirt with a "natural burial"? Eternal Rest Memories Park in Dunedin, Florida, offers that option.

Or go green in a Kinkaraco Green Burial Shroud with pockets for mementos and a stiff backboard and handles for lowering the body. (Would that be "mort couture"?)

Ashes, Ashes, What to do?

Cremation used to be simple. Have Grandma cremated and put her ashes in a box on the shelf. Now the sky (or the sea, or the forest) is the limit as to where your cremains may be placed.

Cremation uses heat, vaporization and flame to reduce the body to its basic elements. In Florida, this process costs from $1,000 to $5,000 depending on the level of luxury afforded by the funeral home itself.

Then, someone gets the ashes. Now what?

They can be scattered, kept in a box, made into a diamond ($3,500 - $20,000 at LifeGem.com) or launched into space ($600 for an up and back trip or $12,500 to be dropped on the moon). Ashes can be added to planting soil or made into pencil lead.

Jason Rew offers the Great Burial Reef option, an opportunity to actually help create life. His Bradenton, Florida, company offers a multi-tier-shaped urn made of concrete mixed with six special natural ingredients to create a coralized texture.

Once the 60-pound urn is put on the ocean floor, little fish and marine animals find the nooks and crannies and hide there, creating a new living space under water.

Families from all over have brought or sent loved one's cremains to one of the company's four ports of call (Sarasota, Chesapeake Bay, Miami and Boston). The cremains are sealed in the urn, put aboard a boat and taken three miles offshore where the urn is lowered into the water.

The company will ship the $1000 basic sealable Living Urn anywhere in the world and families can find a spot in any ocean for placement.

Well, what about all those shoeboxes and envelopes with ashes in them?

The National Funeral Directors Association estimates there are 7 to 11 million urns and boxes sitting in houses because no one knows what to do with the cremains. Rew says, "Get Grandma off the shelf and let your ancestor create life in one of our urns."

Folks are looking for alternatives and entrepreneurs - like Great Burial Reef - are giving them what they want, which is a good thing for the industry.

And no matter how hard a funeral director might put his foot down and think that a Star Trek casket or urn is tacky, the fact is, if someone wants to go out as a Trekkie, the Internet now lets you make it happen.

"The funeral industry has been very staid and traditional," says Rew. It's an industry that others say was the last industry to be dragged kicking and screaming into the 21st century.

But it's being reinvented, sometimes one death at a time.
 

The author is a free lance writer and editor in Florida specializing in senior issues, relationships, healthy lifestyle and travel.
 

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For more information, you might enjoy reading my book, More Than Meets the Eye True Stories about Death, Dying, and Afterlife. Purchase paperback on Amazon.com. It's also on Amazon as an e-book for those who have Kindle or Sony Readers. The audio book is now available!
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Caregiving For Elderly Parents - Decision-Making

By Sharon Elrod

Caregiving for elderly parents is an increasingly searched topic on the Internet. Many of us seniors are caring for our elderly parents, some in their own homes, and some in senior living residences such as assisted living and nursing homes. No matter the living accommodations, we have the same issues to consider as we care for our loved ones. 'Loved ones' means we may be talking about our parent(s), extended elderly family members (aunts and uncles) or close elderly friends for whom we have accepted care and responsibility in their last years.

The gamut of decision making options is available to you and others with whom you may share caregiving.. How do you decide how decision-making is handled? How much to you control, and how much does the elderly parent/relative control?
 These are some guidelines that you may find helpful as you continue on this journey:

• Always include the elder in as much decision-making as is possible given their unique situation with regard to cognitive functioning, safety issues, emotional state, physical condition, economics and practicality.
• Dad may want to make a 1500 mile road trip, but at 94, he can't find the wind shield wipers in the car. So you try to help him understand why he cannot make the trip, and explore other possibilities for going where he wants to go.
• Mother may want to cook three meals a day, but her shoulder injury from a recent fall prohibits her from being able to lift a pan from the cupboard to the stove. So you talk with her about options for meals including a delivery service (e.g., Meals on Wheels or a private in-home delivery service, depending upon economics).
• Aunt Isabel was found walking along side a country road over a mile from her farm house. It was raining. The sheriff deputy knew her and you, and she called you to come get your Aunt. Her Alzheimer's had progressed to the point that you finally had to make the decision to place her in a Memory Care Unit in the local Assisted Living Facility. She needed care and couldn't make the decision for herself. It was up to you to decide on her behalf because she could not participate.
• During your weekly visit with your father, in his own home, he tells you he wants only a private family burial service when he dies. He does not want a church service, nor anything in the funeral home. Although he has serious dementia, you believe he has thought this through and this is his choice. You honor his choice when he dies.
• Your aunt and uncle, ages 92 and 91, are still driving. You are aware of the safety issues as well as their need to remain as independent as possible. You talk with them about both safety and independence, and try to strike a bargain with them offering to drive them to appointments, grocery shopping and other transport needs. If economics allow and if they agree, you hire a private driving service if you are unable to do the driving for them. If economics do not allow, and if they agree, you strike agreements with two or three other family members to take turns driving for them. If they do not agree, you may need the assistance of a physician (neurologist?) to determine whether or not safe driving is still an option-particularly if you have reason to believe they are not safe driving.

The operative thought here is to include the elder in as much decision-making as is reasonable and possible given their unique set of life circumstances.

Article provided by Sharon Shaw Elrod. Senior Citizen Journal, Your Partner in Productive Aging, provides current and relevant information on topics of interest to seniors. Please visit my web site at http://www.seniorcitizenjournal.com/.

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For more information, you might enjoy reading my book, More Than Meets the Eye True Stories about Death, Dying, and Afterlife. Purchase paperback on Amazon.com. It's also on Amazon as an e-book for those who have Kindle or Sony Readers. The audio book is now available!
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Creating an Online Memorial Website Can Help With Grief and Bereavement

By Mark Dubray

Coping with the loss of a loved one and the grief that ensues can be overwhelming and sometimes difficult to manage. Death is one unavoidable certainty that we can expect in one's lifetime but that we rarely think about on a regular basis. So when it does occur, we are sometimes unprepared. This can cause a lot of stress in a person's life, and they may not know how to deal with it.

Bereavement from losing a loved one can be one of the most stressful events in a person's life. Stress, especially if persistent in nature, can affect a person's well-being and lead to serious health problems that may disturb multiple organ systems. The digestive, immune, cardiovascular and nervous systems may all be afflicted and lead to potential life threatening conditions such as bleeding ulcers, chronic infections, depression, diabetes, and heart disease. If a person does not address their grief and the stress associated with it, it may alter their overall health status for the worse.

With the advent of the internet, more people are using online means to seek out social support and facilitate the grieving process. One such medium is an online memorial website, where people can create a profile to commemorate a deceased loved one. Memorial websites can help to honor the legacy of loved ones through contributions from other people from around the globe. Photos, videos, and messages are some of the features that can be shared by family and friends and thus a place to preserve these memories for future generations to enjoy.

Online memorials have become a beneficial platform for those in mourning by allowing access to support from family and friends. Sharing meaningful memories of the deceased with others can help to initiate positive emotions. Research has shown that conjuring positive emotions and a strong social support network during times of grief can help reduce the effects of both chronic and acute stress, as well as allow a person to recover from grief faster.

Benefits of creating an online memorial:

1. It can give unlimited access to a support network of family and friends from all over the world.
2. It can help bring out positive emotions and, therefore, reduce stress and heal faster.
3. It can be a place to preserve favorite memories of a loved one through shared comments, photos and videos.
4. It can allow a bereaved individual to discuss their feelings, at any time of the day, with people who may be dealing with a similar grief.
5. It can be a place to create a family tree to be passed on to future generations.

It should be noted that in certain circumstances, such as with a sudden or traumatic death of a loved one, how a person copes can vary from person-to-person. At some point, there may be a need for professional intervention.

MemoryChestMemorials.com is an online memorial website that offers interactive memorial profiles to commemorate a loved one forever. It also donates a portion of its proceeds to a variety of charities.

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For more information, you might enjoy reading my book, More Than Meets the Eye True Stories about Death, Dying, and Afterlife. Purchase paperback on Amazon.com. It's also on Amazon as an e-book for those who have Kindle or Sony Readers. The audio book is now available!
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Caregiver Stress - 6 Tips to Avoid Burning Out

By Martin R. Sabel

Taking care of an elderly parent can be a Jekyll and Hyde experience for family caregivers.
On the one hand providing care to an aging parent can be very rewarding. It brings the caregiver adult child and their parent closer together. On the other hand, increasing responsibilities ramp up caregiver stress and heightens tension within the family. Anxiety and worry increase when the caregiver is maintaining a job, caring for his or her own children, leads an active social life, and must travel to care for the elderly relative.

The tasks of caregiving - running errands, cooking, cleaning, home maintenance, taking your mom or dad to doctors - appointments often exacts both an emotional and physical toll on the caregiver. In fact the pressures of caregiving are so great that 58% of caregivers show symptoms of clinical depression.

Pay attention to how you are feeling. To be an effective caregiver to your aging parent means staying alert to the warning signs of excess stress. Some of the common signs of caregiver stress include:

• Feelings of sadness
• Moodiness
• Excessive crying
• Low energy
• Feeling isolate
• Difficulty sleeping
• Over and under eating
• Withdrawal from family and/or friends
• Excessive wait gain or loss
• Anger towards the care recipient or other family members

These signs are leading indicators of depression. Depression impacts not only your ability to care for someone else, it harms your mental and physical health, too. If you feel you need more help, you're not alone. According to a study by Home Instead, the national in-home, elderly companionship and home care company, three out of every ten family caregivers agree they could use more help.

Six Tips That Manage Stress and Avoid Caregiver Burnout

1. Hire professional, non-medical caregiving assistance to give you important relief from the daily demands on you.
2. Ask your family and friends to help. It's less expensive than hiring someone and you know the qualify of care your parent will get.
3. Get informed about your elderly parents condition. Contact disease specific support groups. They offer a wealth of information to help you understand what is happening to your loved one and what to expect in the future. Most have active caregiver support groups that can help you better cope with increasing stress.
4. Get your loved one assessed. A geriatric care manager can provide an accurate needs assessment of your loved one. Doing so extends your caregiving abilities, can conserve family resources, and often helps prevent the need of a nursing home.
5. Learn stress-management exercises such as yoga or tai-chi. The exercise is good for your overall health and the emphasis on inner balance and relaxation is good for your mental well-being.
6. Take a break. Caring for an elderly parent is a job. Getting away from the daily grind allows you to recharge yourself. Make arrangements to take a few days off and arrange for help with family and friends, volunteers from church or professional caregivers.

Caregiver burnout is avoidable. To manage caregiver stress requires proactively taking care of yourself while taking care of your aging parent.

With the right information, you can reduce caregiver stress, keep your life in balance, save money and get better care for your elderly parents. To help you reduce the anxiety of caring for an elderly parent, I invite you to instantly access my FREE Weekly Eldercare Advisor. You'll discover both practical caregiving strategies and important resources for taking care of elderly parents without bankrupting yourself emotionally or financially.

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For more information, you might enjoy reading my book, More Than Meets the Eye True Stories about Death, Dying, and Afterlife. Purchase paperback on Amazon.com. It's also on Amazon as an e-book for those who have Kindle or Sony Readers. The audio book is now available!
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Three Reasons Why Green Cemeteries Are a Better Choice

By Will Dunham

Green cemeteries are quickly catching on in popularity among people who are planning their end-of-life process. To date, there are around 200 tracts of land that have been developed as green cemeteries in the United States alone. There are also such natural burial grounds being developed in other countries across Europe.

There are many reasons why natural burial is growing in popularity. Many people have now even begun to consider them as a better choice to traditional burials. Three of the most important reasons why green cemeteries are a better choice than burial in traditional cemeteries are listed below.

1. Burial in these cemeteries is more inexpensive than traditional plots. It usually takes thousands of dollars to fund a traditional burial. The family of the deceased will have to spend on pricey bronze caskets complete with trimmings, a plot of land in a cemetery, the concrete vault that will hold the casket, the headstone, and other things needed for a burial. The costs for these can add up to thousands of dollars.

Burial in green cemeteries, by comparison, often costs only a fraction of how much it takes to be buried in a traditional cemetery. Caskets and burial vaults are not needed. Also, instead of headstones, administrators of green cemeteries usually require planting a tree over the grave.

2. Burial in green cemeteries are environment-friendly. Bronze caskets and their metallic trimmings, the concrete vault, the headstone and other things needed for a traditional burial make use of non-renewable resources. These non-renewable resources are also non-biodegradable. In addition, the embalming process in traditional burials makes use of chemicals that can be toxic to the environment.

On the other hand, these cemeteries do not require the use of caskets or concrete vaults. If a casket is to be used in burying the body, it should be made of a material that is biodegradable. More often than not, a shroud is all that is needed for the burial. Also, the use of toxic embalming fluids is highly discouraged in natural burials so they would not seep into the ground.

3. Burial in green cemeteries promote the natural cycle of life. Even Christians, who first promoted the now traditional casket burials, believe that we will all return to the ashes from which we were made when we die. More than just a religious phrase, the term "ashes to ashes, dust to dust" refers to the natural cycle of life.

We are meant to return to the earth when we die so that our bodies can help in supporting new life. Supporting new life is what we do when we choose to be buried in green cemeteries. Many people believe that this is a much more meaningful end to a life.

There are many green burial choices available. The most important decision is whether the person will have a burial or be cremated. If the person is buried will it be traditional or in a green cemetery. If cremated will their ashes be scattered or buried. Scattering ashes [http://www.scatteringashes.net] is a wonderful route for a memorial service. By choosing cremation, the person has already chosen a more green route than traditional burial. The burial urn is not so much the issue, as burial of a metal casket and toxins are a not good for the environment. I hope this had given you soon useful information. Thank you for reading.
 

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For more information, you might enjoy reading my book, More Than Meets the Eye True Stories about Death, Dying, and Afterlife. Purchase paperback on Amazon.com. It's also on Amazon as an e-book for those who have Kindle or Sony Readers. The audio book is now available!
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After-Death Communications - Receiving Messages From the Deceased

By Deborah Heneghan

When a loved one dies, they typically visit us shortly after their death. Some call this an after death communication; I call it a rock star moment. This is your personal Big Bang moment with your deceased loved one. But, please don't despair if you've never experienced a rock star sign. Some people never do, or some receive these signs years later. Personally, my biggest rock star moment was seeing my sister in my bedroom soon after she died. This jump-started our initial communication. Maybe something similar has happened to you, but you weren't sure if it was real. Perhaps you worry that you blew your big moment, that your window of communication has closed. Not the case. You can start any time by merely saying to your loved one on the other side: I miss you. I'm thinking about you. Are you okay? I'm here. Send me a sign. Let them know that you're feeling excited, happy, tired, angry, depressed. Whatever particular mood you're in, share it. Ask (for signs) and you shall receive.

Invite your loved one into your world. They've entered another, and may be waiting for an invitation back into yours. Trust the process, and your communication will soon flourish.

Allow me to share a rock star example for animal lovers (that's you, right?): Joyce and her family were obsessed with their only animal--a beautiful and vibrant German Shepherd, Leo. At eight years old, he contracted kidney disease. It was a quick and devastating decline that forced the family to put him down. Joyce and her mother couldn't get over it. Although they were a spiritual family and knew that it must have been "his time," and even believed they'd see him again one day, their hearts and intellects were miles apart. Nothing seemed to relieve their grief. Even a year later, Joyce's mother would cry every time she saw another big dog. They weren't letting him go, and had lost much of the joy in their family life.

When alive, Leo was 85-pounds, with a habit of thrusting his heavy frame against the sliding glass door to their dining room when he wanted inside. He'd stand on his hind legs and rock the glass back and forth with his front paws. It was a loud, bad habit, but they loved his energy and enthusiasm, and thought this was funny--marveling at how the glass didn't come crashing down.

Long after he passed, Joyce was at the house by herself, standing at the dining room table going through mail, when suddenly the sliding glass door began to rock wildly back and forth. Living in the Bay Area, she assumed they were having an earthquake and ran outside. But nothing else was moving. Something whispered to her that it was Leo; that he was trying to get her attention. She ran back inside and stared in amazement at the still-moving glass. She knew what Leo wanted. He wanted her and her mother to move forward with their lives, to stop grieving. When her mother came home, she told her what had happened, and they never mourned another day. It worked. The glass stayed silent.

Letting go of a loved one is one of the biggest challenges we'll ever face. We miss them, want to freeze them in time, and feel the comfort of their presence again. This, however, can freeze the both of you in place. Letting go makes room for evolution--of yourself, of them, and of what's meant to be. You can still communicate constantly. After all, they're with you day and night. But the grief must make way for celebration of who they were and still are. Letting them go isn't forgetting about them, it's letting their spirit fly. In turn, they're free to love, care for, and guide you.
 

To understand more about how to transform your grief in to guidance and blessings from your loved ones on the other side, and how after death communications can change your life for the better, please go to Closer Than You Think, LLC at: http://www.closerthanyouthinkthebook.com. For teleseminar and personal coaching information go to: http://www.closerthanyouthinkthebook.com/tele.html

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For more information, you might enjoy reading my book, More Than Meets the Eye True Stories about Death, Dying, and Afterlife. Purchase paperback on Amazon.com. It's also on Amazon as an e-book for those who have Kindle or Sony Readers. The audio book is now available!
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Pet Loss - 10 Tips to Help Soothe Heartbreak

By Sandy Rakowitz

Everyone who has animals knows at some point that they will have to face their death. Whether the death was gradual at the end of a full life or a youngster meeting an untimely death, or a sudden illness or injury prompting their passing, most of our animal's life spans are shorter than ours.

Losing a pet can be just as difficult, traumatic and heartbreaking as losing a family member, because they ARE family! This can be a delicate, tender, emotional and deeply personal time.

Everyone deals with loss in many varied ways. Whether the beloved who died was an animal or a person loss is still a loss. The fabric of daily life definitely changes with the loss of your companion and good friend. Animals bring so much comfort, security, loyalty and love. Animals have a way of reaching into our hearts so incredibly deeply.

I have had the honor of living with many animals over the years, and had to face many deaths. From cats wondering off, accidents, illnesses, and long and sweet endings, I have gotten quite a bit of 'practice' with this challenging transition.

While I don't think there is a formula for getting through loss, I have found some common things that have been helpful to soothe my heart and have helped me find my way through death and loss. For some, talking about their loss can be rather difficult and intense. I hope that these tips are helpful and inspiring.

Tips for Grieving the loss of a beloved animal;

1) Be honest about your feelings and thoughts. Know that you have the right to feel deep loss, heartache, guilt, depression, lack of emotion, denial and even anger.
2) Follow your instincts- to take time to know what you need, and to tend to your heart
3) Send prayers- for yourself, and for your animal who has passed
4) Plant a tree, flowers or a garden in memory of your beloved
5) Create a memory board and/or picture slide show or tribute video
6) Display pics around the house or create a special place to honor your loved one
7) Journal, write or draw your feelings using different colors for expressing feelings
8) Cry...giving yourself permission to cry
9) Talk with a trusted friend who can really listen. Talk some more!
10) Know that the connections in your heart that you have had with your animal will always remain.

You will always be linked even though they are no longer in their physical body.

Grief has its own rhythms and goes up, down and all around. Grief does not have a neat time schedule and it rears up sometimes when you least expect it. Sometimes it shows up months or even years later. Taking time to veg out, cry, write, talk... whatever you need do to help your heart and to honor the memory of your animal is all important. Take the time you need. Trust your instincts.

Feelings of grief often do not fit into a neat package....and heartache takes time to mend.

Find ways to express what you loved and appreciated and what you learned with your animal friend. Express your favorite memories. These are all your prayers.

What have you found to honor your heart and your furry, winged or scaled friend who has been part of your family and is one of your beloved?

Sandy Rakowitz of One Heart Healing Center for People & Animals, the Holistic Tips Expert who helps people & their animals live healthier, more vibrant, intuitive, fluid & inspired lives. Sandy has over 20 years in the field of Animal Wellness. Providing Practical Health & Behavior Solutions for People, Horses, Dogs, Cats, Exotics. To set up an appointment with Sandy; http://www.onehearthealingcenter.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Sandy_Rakowitz
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/4732134

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For more information, you might enjoy reading my book, More Than Meets the Eye True Stories about Death, Dying, and Afterlife. Purchase paperback on Amazon.com. It's also on Amazon as an e-book for those who have Kindle or Sony Readers. The audio book is now available!
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